This week, I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing brothers Will, Ollie and Tim Walter, aka blues-rock band The Family Rain from Bath. As a band they are becoming increasingly well known, thanks in part to supporting some pretty big names on tour in 2013, and much excitement is surrounding the upcoming release of their debut album. The interview went a lot like this:
Firstly, hello and thank you for taking the time to do this! For those who don't know, you're a band of three brothers, but does the musical talent run through your family or were you the first generation to pick up an instrument?
"Hey, no problem! As far as we know we were the first generation to actually pick up instruments, although we come from a family of music lovers."
How does being brothers affect the songwriting process? On the other hand, does being in a band together affect your relationship as brothers?
"I think it probably makes it easier because of how open and honest we can be with each other. There is also no room for egos between us which is another good thing.
Being in a band with each other has probably kept us closer together as brothers than we would have been otherwise."
Supporting Miles Kane and Jake Bugg on their recent tours must have been very exciting for an up and coming band such as yourselves, but if you could choose ANYBODY to go on tour with, who would it be?
"A band we supported for two shows in the summer who we would love to tour with is Biffy Clyro. They are a formidable live band as well as being great guys and being on tour with them would be a great experience."
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| Biffy Clyro |
If you had the ability to go to any country and play at any venue on this tour with said artist, where would it be and why?
"Well, for obvious reasons when it comes to Biffy it would be Scotland! Although you're giving us the chance to go anywhere in the world here and as a band we have a soft spot for Mexico, so I'll say Mexico City."
You have a big February coming up, with the release of your debut album. Is there anything else in 2014 that you're really excited about? Festivals? A tour perhaps?
"Yeah, we can't wait for this album to come out! As far of the rest of 2014 goes, we get excited about doing anything to do with this band, if we get to travel to some new places that is always a bonus!"
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| The 'Under the Volcano' cover art |
Your debut album is entitled Under the Volcano. That sounds pretty dangerous to me, so I ask you this: if your house was ever in the midst of a volcanic eruption, what would be the first thing you each saved?
"Haha, I don't know really. We've lived in the same house all our lives so just to see that destroyed by a volcanic eruption would be pretty heartbreaking itself, forget the stuff inside!"
The teardrop symbol on your album appears on the artwork for your singles too - who designed it, and where did the idea come from?
"Everything to do with artwork and graphics is all [drummer] Tim. He designs all our artwork, tour posters etc. The Rain drop logo is pretty self explanatory and we love it because it can go anywhere!"
Interview by Molly McGrath, answers by Ollie Walter from The Family Rain.
The Family Rain's debut album Under The Volcano is to be released on the 3rd of February. Preorder it here.
Watch the new video for Trust me... I'm a Genius here:
